Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Love of the sea and fascination with the human condition led me to write three Liz Adams Mysteries about a cruising couple aboard their sailboat, Sloopy. Dance Instructor for 5 years and professional photographer for 30, I began to write when my two sons left the nest. Northwest Connecticut is home, where I live with my husband, Roger and a rambunctious Sheltie, Randy. Together we play ball, take long walks and frequent the Mystic area.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Two Headed Snake of Key West is my third Liz Adams Mystery. For several consecutive years, my husband and I vacationed in Key West. My spirit feels connected to that spot where entrepreneurs have historically flocked.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
To me they are not unusual. I have two places in my home where I can productively write. One is sitting in front of our wood stove on cold winter nights and in bed. For some reason, writing at a desk with my feet on the floor causes brain freeze. Two other locations that I favor are on my boat or in traveling long distances in a car.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton, Clive Cussler

What are you working on now?
A fourth Liz Adams Mystery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do not have a favorite. Marketing is a compilation of reaching out in many ways.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write if you have the passion and a story to tell.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is like a wheel. Each spoke is a piece of your life, i.e. family, work, recreation, etc. When one spoke gets too large, the wheel cannot turn.

What are you reading now?
Sue Grafton’s W is for Wasted

What’s next for you as a writer?
While I work on my fourth book, I will continue to write blogs, flash fiction and poetry to improve my craft. I enjoy participating in writer’s groups to learn from others.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, Sonia Choquette’s The Psychic Pathway, Julie Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, Soul Lessons and Soul Purpose: A Channeled Guide to Why You Are Here

Author Websites and Profiles
Marilyn Dalla Valle Website
Marilyn Dalla Valle Amazon Profile

Marilyn Dalla Valle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hold a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and I also took creative writing courses at Texas Tech University. I love to travel, read and write, and I currently maintain an Indie review blog. I’m also a contributor on Yahoo Contributor Network and Yahoo! Voices websites.

Massive Black Hole is my first novel, a literary general fiction/drama. I also love poetry and have just published a poetry collection, Holes in Space, featuring beautiful photography from friends.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Holes in Space. It’s a poetry collection. I was actually listening to the radio one day and someone was singing about holes in space – at least that’s what I think I heard. I liked it, and I penned a poem called Holes in Space. Then, when it was time to give a title to the collection, I just picked it, it just sounded perfect for the book title as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, can’t think of anything bizarre that I do while writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Brazilian authors Fernando Sabino (to whom I dedicated a poem in the last book), and Paulo Coelho are huge influences. I’m also a big fan of Joyce Carol Oates, Anais Nin, Anne Rice, Erica Jong. Books that influenced me or had a big impact are The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, and the Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera.

What are you working on now?
I just finished the poetry collection, and I want to write another novel. I’m working on some ideas and have started the first chapter, and I also want to write a couple of short stories.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have a particularly best method. Still learning the ropes of promotion being an indie writer. It’s very helpful to network on Goodreads and Facebook, and do promotional sales with Amazon Kindle Countdown deal, as well as use great sites like Awesomegang.com!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read and write, read and write, read and write and don’t give up!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally… Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.

by Don Miguel Ruiz

What are you reading now?
Indie books. I think it’s important to see what’s being published by so many talented people that are not being recognized yet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more, publish more, create more.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Either something I haven’t read before, or a couple of classics -preferably the thick ones so I would have plenty of time to enjoy them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Andrea Barbosa Website
Andrea Barbosa Amazon Profile

Andrea Barbosa’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer, a daydreamer, and an avid reader and book lover. I absolutely adore Elves, and I am genuinely distressed that they do not exist. I love hand-writing letters, and I am a firm believer that receiving said letter is one of the best forms of therapy available. I love physical books, none of this newfangled eBook stuff. I love vinyl records and Jameson (neat). British Comedies are my main form of visual entertainment, though The Lord of the Rings and Notre Dame football finish a close second. I am an avid ballet dancer, and I am convinced that if everyone took ballet, the world would be a much more joyous place.

If you couldn’t tell from the above paragraph, I am a fantasy writer, mostly epic/high although I’ve started a series of short stories that’s more of the dark fantasy side. So far I’ve published two books and one short story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my latest book is Silevethiel. It is about an exiled princess who must rise above the frail, dependent woman she was raised to be in order to stand against a terrifying evil threatening to rule the world.

I’m a huge lover of animals and wanted to incorporate the bond many people feel with their pets in my writing – just on a larger, magical scale. I came up with the idea for the Protector/Guardian bond where elf and lion can sense and speak to each other through their magic. The characters of Irewen and Silevethiel were born, and I began writing. Initially, it began as a short story but morphed into a book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I must hand-write everything out first in my notebook before I type it up, which isn’t necessarily unusual, but I must – and I repeat – I MUST use the same pen. When the ink runs out and I don’t have the exact same pen to replace it, my world ends – especially if it’s a different color. I can’t even begin to express the trauma this brings to my life. I also must take notes in pencil and absolutely have to sharpen it before I throw it away.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been drawn to Sci-fi/Fantasy and was actually introduced to the Fantasy genre by Terry Brooks and his wonderful world of Shannara. I fell in love with him immediately, and he continues to be my favorite author and greatest influence. Other fantasy authors I enjoy and who have also impacted my writing are Philip Pullman, Mercedes Lackey, Juliet Marillier, and Anne McCaffrey, to name a few.

Surprisingly, the two authors my work is repeatedly compared to, J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin, have not influenced me one bit. I don’t particularly like Tolkien’s writing style (please don’t hit me with a stick!) and have not read anything by Martin.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the 2nd book of The Dragonath Chronicles titled Awakening, which will be released in 2014.

Book Blurb!

With the aid of Andillrian, Ipzaag, Selantia, and Anarra, Darrak continues his fight to save Earth and Dragonath from the destruction of Halla Magic. But after the appearance of a dragon who could change the tide of war in their favor, Darrak learns that not everyone’s oath to protect him was genuine. Deserted by two of his companions and facing a cunning and powerful army, Darrak realizes the enemy forces no longer answer to their former master.

A darker power has emerged from the shadows.

Payton Niemel has returned, and his intense hatred for Darrak’s ancestors remains. He will stop at nothing to finish what he began centuries before; to destroy the Keera bloodline and claim dominance over all of Dragonath. And this time, he has the power to see it done.

I also recently published short story, Redemption, on Kindle. It’s the first of the dark fantasy series, The Legacy of Ilvania, which follows the main character’s journey from prisoner to revered leader.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I haven’t really discovered anything that I would call the ‘best’. Everything I’ve done has worked pretty well, but nothing’s blown me away. I’m still discovering new avenues and it’s too early to say how they perform. Giveaways definitely generate interest. I mean after all, who doesn’t like free stuff? Especially books!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be yourself. Don’t write for money or fame. Write because you have a message you want to share. Write because you want to inspire your readers, whether they be 2, 2,000 or 2,000,000. Most importantly, write from your heart and never stop.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. When nothing sounds right and you’re so frustrated you want to stab yourself in the eye with a pencil, just keep putting words on the page. It’s probably not as bad as you think it is, and if it is, that’s what editing is for.

What are you reading now?
I just started reading Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Traci Hickman. And by ‘just started’ I mean I’m on page 5, so I can’t really give much input as to my opinion!

What’s next for you as a writer?
The immediate future brings finishing/publishing Awakening. After that, it’s on to the 3rd/final book in The Dragonath Chronicles and writing the last 2 books in The Vaelinel Trilogy. Once both of those series are finished, I hope to write other series within both worlds. I also want to continue with the short stories in The Legacy of Ilvania. Other than that, it’s up to where my imagination will take me!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’m going to choose 4 because the more books the better!

Witch Wraith by Terry Brooks

The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Author Websites and Profiles
Andi O’Connor Website
Andi O’Connor Amazon Profile

Andi O’Connor’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former sportswriter for The Newark Star-Ledger who covered all the New York City teams, including the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Knicks. I was the Knicks beat writer for nine years and traveled all over the country with them. I covered several World Series, NBA Playoffs, and the NCAA Finals. Currently, the only sportswriting I do is to write fight previews for HBO’s boxing website under the byline Nat Gottlieb.

I have written four books in my new Frank Boff Mystery Series, “The Hurting Game,” “The Punishing Game,” “The Killer Sex Game,” and most recently, “The Payback Game.” The private eye in my series is based on a close friend who was a DEA Special Agent and now is a high profile private investigator. Harvey of the New York Times said of “The Payback Game:”

“Nathan Gottlieb’s The Payback Game is not only a terrific mystery story, but it’s so loaded with twists and turns and compelling characters that it’s nearly impossible to put the book down. Private eye Frank Boff, a former legendary DEA agent continues to defy all genre expectations. He’s a delightful and iconic investigator with a wicked sense of humor and a morally-challenged idea of what constitutes justice in a world riddled with corruption. I defy you to find a more original and funny private eye.”

After a life spent living New York City and Hoboken, I now live in a small upstate town nine miles from Woodstock. This quiet, less hectic life has enabled me to concentrate fully on the writing of my mystery series. I am currently writing the fifth book in the series, “The Death Dealing Game.”

All my adult life I have been a movie fanatic and have seen hundreds and hundreds of films, domestic and foreign. Perhaps that is why friends of mine who have read my books say they are very cinematic and would make good movies. I currently am working with an agent and former movie producer on selling the movie rights to the first book in my series, “The Hurting Game.”

I am also a terrific cook, although I must admit I don’t like cooking. But I do like great food, and so I do the work. My favorite dish is baked ziti with five different cheeses and a delicious Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce. I also make baked french fries which are better tasting than deep-fried one. All I do is cut up potatoes into steak fries shape, coat the slices with olive oil and shake Mrs. Dash’s Steak Seasoning on them and then pop the fries in the oven for about 45 minutes. I also make killer salads with 6-7 different greens, steamed veggies, and a variety of dressings I either make or buy from Annie’s Naturals. My favorite of her brands is the Artichoke Parmesan.

Needless to say I work out daily in my house using a routine I devised. That keeps the weight off.

My life has become very simple and peaceful since leaving New York City. I write during the day, exercise, cook, watch a movie or an NBA game (even though I am from New York, I root for the Houston Rockets because Jeremy Lin is no longer a Knick). Later at night I read mystery books. And that’s the story!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The Payback Game.” It was inspired by my longtime admiration for the greatest tabloid investigative journalist of all time, Jimmy Breslin, who is retired now. I got to thinking how a guy like that deals with retirement, and then….

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
One is I turned my computer’s wireless keyboard at a 45 degree angle for reasons unknown to me. Another is at a certain point in the story I let my characters tell me what has to happen next. I do not do massive outlines. I know my characters, I know the beginning, middle, and ending, and then I kind of wing it, although from the complex stories I weave, and how seamless my writing is, you would never guess it. It is actually the same method my favorite mystery author says he uses, Michael Connelly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Earlier in life I was influenced by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Kerouac. Since I got into the mystery writing game, my two biggest influences have been Michael Connelly and Lee Child, although in truth, I have always had my own writing style. I say they influence me because I study all the great things they do in their books and it inspires me to write to that level.

What are you working on now?
The fifth book in my mystery series, “The Death Dealing Game,” which has to do with gun running up the I-95 corridor, which law enforcement calls “The Iron Pipeline.” The book is also about political corruption and illegal high stakes poker games involving billionaires, movie stars, and professional athletes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Every day. Even on days you don’t feel like it. You need to establish a writing discipline. And accept on some days the work will not be all that good. Which is what editing and multiple drafts are for. Also, do not be influenced by how others judge your work. Know yourself. Believe in yourself, and write with passion. The great poet E.E. Cummings once said: “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oddly enough, rejections from publishers inadvertently influenced changes I needed to make in my first book. Their comments contained some thoughts that opened a door in my mind to what needed to be done to write the best book I could.

What are you reading now?
Lee Child’s Jack Reacher book, “The Hard Way.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing on my series. Plus I want to do a spinoff series based on a woman I introduce in book 5, a former Iraq and Afghan veteran who joined the NYPD, rose to detective, and then was indefinitely suspended for drinking problems. She is an alpha female, brutally honest, a black belt in Aikido, and does not work well with others. After suffering through an abused childhood, she masks her emotions in a tough exterior. She fascinates me. I relate to certain things with her.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Whew. That’s tough. Maybe “The Sun Also Rises,” “On the Road,” and Thomas Pynchon’s brilliant opus, “Gravity’s Rainbow.”

Author Websites and Profiles
Nathan Gottlieb Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one book titled Nana And The Vampires and I am working on two more. I have always loved reading books and always wanted to write. I finally decided to just go for it!

I am married to a wonderful man, Eric, and we have six children and twelve (yes, that’s 12) grandchildren! My grand-kids love to gather around me and say, “Tell us a story, Nana!” and I am always happy to oblige. They inspired me to write my book.

When I am not working at the hospital, I am reading, writing, promoting and taking care of my husband. I also like to do scrap-booking and simple craft projects for the home.

I am a Christian and my writing has no profanity or erotic content; I like to write stories that the whole family can enjoy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first book is Nana And The Vampires and it was inspired my my awesome grand-kids!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think my writing habits are unusual. I usually write when I have free time like evenings and weekends. I am obsessed with word count, and set goals daily to write a particular number of words.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like so many authors and books of all different genres. I think I have read nearly everything that Dean Koontz has ever written so he is obviously one of my all time favorites.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on Nana And The Zombies, the second book in The Nana Files series. I am also writing a Christian fiction book about the divine, supernatural protection of God.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Awesome Gang, of course! I am new to this and still learning, so I have been going to every website I can find to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, write, write!

What are you reading now?
Without by E.E. Borton

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully more books and maybe some blogs.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible, of course, is my first choice. I would probably like to have some kind of survival book because I am definitely NOT an outdoors girl! Then I guess I would like to have The Twilight Series just for fun.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cyndy Green Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a freelance writer and author. I writes novels, and inspirational books. I also blog about marriage, life, and raising twins. I specialise in ghostwriting for other people and love to help them to write their autobiography. I live in Birmingham England with my husband and our twin boys.

I wrote Raj Jarrett’s the only arranged marriage, (Her Autobiography), I co wrote Run for your life, a mystery thriller novel, and I have just written Knocking on Heaven’s door.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, Knocking on Heaven’s door. I was inspired to write it by a desire to show people that praying is not just for experts but for absolutely everyone!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really although I do keep rewarding myself with numerous cups of coffee! At times I have the television on or some music in the background. Depending on my mood sometimes when I write I have to have complete silence! It varies from one day to the next!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Francine Rivers and her story telling ability. I find her pretty inspirational. I also like A piece of cake by Cupcake Brown. I love how raw and real her writing is and the fact that she proves we can do anything we put our minds, and hearts to. William Wordsworth! His description of places and things brought tears to my eyes!

What are you working on now?
At the moment I am co-authoring another novel set in the caribbean. It is a love story with many twists and turns.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting your books is truly a fine art and I believe needs to be an ongoing venture. I don’t think there is just one site in particular, but rather a combination of many sites, social media, as well as good old fashioned word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about what you love and know about. Start where you’re at, remembering that every great writer started somewhere!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself! Believe in yourself and allow who you are to shine through your writing!

What are you reading now?
Redeeming love by Francine Rivers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully branching out of my comfort zones and taking up the challenge of trying new types of writing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My Bible, Sophie Kinsella’s shopaholic abroad, Kate Quinn’s mistress of Rome.

Author Websites and Profiles
Diane wilkie Website
Diane wilkie Amazon Profile

Diane wilkie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello there! I’ve published my first debut novel, Chaysing Dreams, in August of 2013. This is the first of a trilogy. The sequel, Chaysing Memories, will be available soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Chaysing Memories. I am excited that it should be available in April of May of this year! What inspired me? Well, I’ve always loved to read- ever since I was a little girl. But then you get married, have kids… you know, life happens. So like many, I got really busy with the everyday tasks of life, and neglected doing what I loved- read! I finally picked it back up (actually when Twlight came out). And I haven’t stopped reading since. So last year, I wanted to try my luck with writing. At first, it was just to challenge myself. But, the more I got invested in my characters and the story, the more I felt that I needed to publish it. I wanted to share this unique story with the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think they’re too unusual. But my head constantly is coming up with ideas for my story! So usually, I’ll just text myself the ideas as they come up- just to be sure I don’t forget it when I’m sitting down and writing. I also love listening to music that may really go with a particular scene. The song/music really inspires me and puts me where I need to be to nail that scene. For example, in Chaysing Dreams, in two critical scenes, I used two songs that I absolutely love. These songs fit in perfect with the scenes. So before writing the scenes, I kept listening to them over and over. They were A Drop In The Ocean by Ron Pope and Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park. Yeah, music is huge when I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I absolutely love A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. But I just love so many books. I’ve loved the Twilight series, the Hunger Games series, Water For Elephants, Life of Pi… and yes, I was also intrigued by Mr. Grey from Fifty Shades. 😉

What are you working on now?
I just sent my sequel out for publishing. I’m now catching up on my reading, and I’ll be starting the third book of the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be perfectly honest, I’m still learning a lot about marketing. I’m fairly new to all this, so basically, I’m sitting back and learning from experts like you! 🙂 But I do have my own website that I use. www.jalpawilliby.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think when you write, write with your heart and soul. And then when you create the story, go over it countless times until you’re satisfied. Then send it to an editor- because trust me, they’ll only help improve your story. After the edits return, go over it another hundred times until it’s the best that you can do. Trust me, your name is going on it- you want to give it your all.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Well I learned that your work is not over just by writing and publishing. You also have to market yourself. And honestly, I’ve met some of the best indie authors. They are all so helpful and knowledgeable. And now that I’ve written and published, I have a whole new respect for all the authors out there. It’s not easy and it’s a lot of work. So really, you have to do it because you love it. Period.

Not sure if I answered the question… but best advice? You better be in for a long haul because your job is not over after the book is published.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Legend by Marie Lu. I will be reading the sequel soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be working on Chaysing Destiny (the final installment of the trilogy). I’m looking forward to writing it because I’m really challenging myself. After all three book are finally out, who knows? We’ll just have to see.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Probably a book on how to survive if you’re stranded on a deserted island.

2. A book on how to get help if stranded on a deserted island so I can not be stranded anymore. 🙂

3. A book on which vegetation are safe to eat and which are dangerous (with pictures)

I know they’re not fun answers, but I’m trying to survive! 🙂

Author Websites and Profiles
Jalpa Williby Website
Jalpa Williby Amazon Profile

Jalpa Williby’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Simon Best. My writing name is S.W.Best. I am the author of the Eventide Vampire Series. I have been writing for a while now. (Started at 13) But I always wrote just for me. So I got on with my life, graduated from University with Hons and I thought about what to do with the rest of my life. After a football accident I had to have a shoulder operation. It was in that time I picked up my series of books I had written. Then I painstakingly typed 127,000 words with one finger or so into a word document. It took four years until I was happy with what I had achieved!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Lost in Darkness. Its book one, of five, in my Eventide Vampire Series. I’ve always loved writing horror and vampires. Anything that could get your pulse racing! Lost in Darkness is full of Action & Adventure, with a Paranormal Urban Fantasy feel, equally suited for teen & young adult market.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a bell on my desk I ring which gets me into writing. almost like a starting pistol! I write everyday when I can. And on other days I edit. A strong cup of filtered coffee and a keen sense of adventure is all you need!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read too many to mention. I know that may sound like I’m avoiding the question, but its true. If i had to pin a writer down who inspired me it would probably be William Blake. Although Stephen King’s On Writing is well worth the read.

What are you working on now?
Ahhh, well this is it you see. I’m writing my Eventide Series, but I’m also writing three of four other projects. (Keeps the mind form being bored) My new release is the second book in the Eventide Series, Crimson Darkness. I’m waiting from my editor. Once she has released it, I will reread what she has suggested and then hit “Publish”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s always been word of mouth, but I’ve been using Facebook and Twitter to put the word out. I am still experimenting with various sites. Yours being one if the chosen few!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You HAVE to know what has gone before. When I was in University, my professor said the same. you have to know your target audience and know what has been produced so you don’t just rehash a weaker attempt. Try to write everyday and without letting the other side of your brain tell you its rubbish. Plus don’t tell anyone about your work until its past its first draft. Because you may end up writing someone else’s book not your own. NEVER GIVE UP!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Formula for success: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10% (Stephen King On Writing) Seriously. This changed my life.

What are you reading now?
Napoleon Hill. I’m a self-help, get better at life/writing, junkie.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To release Eventide Crimson Darkness and write the third one.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The art of happiness.

(Cant think of any other!)

Author Websites and Profiles
SIMON BEST Website
SIMON BEST Amazon Profile

SIMON BEST’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am writing the fifth book in this series. I have also written a number of books for the textbook market. All-in-all I would rather write about the lives and erotic adventures of interesting people than explain the mysteries of cyber-security to a readership that has to read what I write because their instructor is making them do it. Not to mention these erotic adventures are the wife’s favorites and happy wife, happy sex life!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is Hilley’s New Horizon. It is the fourth in the series and it stars the daughter of the couple who have been the focus of the first three books. The daughter has grown from babyhood to gorgeous young womanhood in the prior books. It was inspired by the desire to continue telling the story of a couple of remarkable people and their offspring. But mainly it is inspired by my desire to reminisce about all of the interesting places I have visited and the adventures I wish that I had had there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write without a cup of coffee during the day and a “dark-n-stormy” in the evening. I also have been known to develop inspiration for plots in odd places like staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night, or standing in the shower (BTW I’m not talking about THAT kind of inspiration). Of course since I have to immediately write down my inspiration, I have been known to type in the nude! The wife wishes I would stop doing that in case we have an unexpected house guest!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am omnivorous. I read everything and there is no one author, although I occasionally channel George Mac Donald Fraser. The wife reads Sci Fi, Erotic Romance and Historical Romance and she was the inspiration for our journey into Erotic Romance, although I think we need a new category: Real Romance. Our books are not quite Erotica, because the point of the book is the Romance, or the adventure of sexual discovery between adults, not just sex for the sake of sex.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the fifth book in the series and the way things are going there might be 20 more behind that one. I really like the people I am writing about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The wife is working everything she can lay hands on, Amazon, Facebook, Awesomegang, Koobug, Goodreads, Bloggin and Tweeting or is that Twirking! I can’t make heads or tails of all the social media stuff! That’s why we make such a great team!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you feel and don’t be afraid of what other people think. You all have a story in there so tell it. And don’t give up. Writing is a marathon not a sprint. You have to believe in yourself and keep plodding along.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Dutch Leonard – “Try to avoid the parts that readers tend to skip”

What are you reading now?
David Wishart’s Corvinus series and the wife is reading Asimov.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing to tell the story of Paul and Janey Larson, his dog Shamus and her bird Horus and their genius daughter Hilley and her Egyptian Mau, Bastet and all the wonderful sex they are having!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Something entertaining by Robert Parker, or Lee Child and the wife would have a Sci Fi by one of the legends like Asimov and of course a couple of her favorite Erotic Romances-so things wouldn’t be boring!

Author Websites and Profiles
D.T. Iverson Website
D.T. Iverson Amazon Profile

D.T. Iverson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Stephanie is an avid reader, writer, musician, and actress. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English from a local university and is hoping to use it in order to further her career in writing. Her true passion lies in her spirituality and utilizing it in order to help humanity. In the next upcoming weeks, she will be taking classes in order to become a certified Drug and Alcohol counselor. She hopes to use the gifts that God has given to her in order to enlighten and inspire the world, in the most imaginary way. She has published a total of three books, one of which is a book of poems and the other two of which are fiction novels (Titles: Black Magickal Mind, The Holy Garden Painting, and Her Dark Veins of Faith).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Her Dark Veins of Faith. It was inspired by some of my own personal experiences, as well as some dreams that I have had. It was once my dream to be a nude model and I have suffered from a great deal of anxiety and insecurity in this area of my life, so I believe that the book expresses some of these subconscious thought processes. My passion for Christ drives me away from that particular sin of lust, which I have thoughtfully conveyed and reflected on in this piece, through the character of Raama.
I have never suffered from any sort of intense sexual abuse, as I have depicted in this novel, but I am familiar with emotional abuse. A vampire is one who desires to rape another–whether it be physically, sexually, or emotionally–and that is why I chose to utilize this sort of fantasy, as opposed to a fantasy that centers on faeries or other creatures of light. I have always been fascinated with the psychology behind abuse, so that is why I chose to focus in this particular topic. I tend to attract people who have been victims of abuse, so I wrote this as my way of inspiring or motivating anyone who has endured such struggles.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly. I suppose if you consider writing for a few hours every day an unusual writing habit? But I do have strange habits when it comes to basing my writing off dreams.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and I rush downstairs from my bedroom, just so I can write about my thoughts based on a dream that I have had. It’s very exciting and exhilarating for me to process the meaning of my dreams; some of them are very intense spiritual experiences, and I feel driven to write to certain people when this occurs.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of my favorite works include: The House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast; Born of Illusion; Brida by Paulo Coelho; Vampire Academy series; The Night Circus; The Mermaid Garden; and The Witch’s Daughter.
I am fascinated with anything relating to the occult, or anything that is influenced by spirituality. The work doesn’t need to be Christian in order for me to be inspired by it. Many Christians make the mistake of believing that a piece needs to fit neatly into their own perception and/or core beliefs in order for them to be appropriately influenced by it, but that is not the case with me. I find that these books have inspired and influenced me in that they have challenged my way of viewing reality– both intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. I truly believe that it is unwise to not be explorative or open-minded about other belief systems–or else, how would we sharpen our own beliefs? How would we challenge our own minds, in order that we may expand upon this vision of Christian truth?
We see what we desire, anyway; and if a Christian is reading, then a Christian is likely to examine the flaws along with the strongpoints in whichever piece he/she is reading, whether it is of the occult or not. I like to challenge my mind and beliefs in any way possible.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a piece titled The Rose Spell Longing, which I originally submitted as a short story, but then changed my mind, unpublished it, and decided to expand on it.
It’s yet another expression of my subconscious thought processes–but this time around, it relates to my unhealthy fascination with the occult, and how I have been able to overcome that. It also relates to abuse within the church. I mainly decided to focus on this because I have always been attracted to the Salem Witch Trials. My purpose for writing this piece is so that I can build tolerant, more accepting attitudes within the church, and so that people’s eyes may be opened to the surface level beauty of the occult, and the dangers that underlie it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really have a method that works for me. I advertise on social media, and I try to snag as many author interviews as possible. I’m relatively new at this, so I’m still learning.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, I am a new author, but I would tell other new authors not to rely too heavily on their own opinions, nor to rely too heavily on the opinions of others. To find a balance between knowing your audience (and having an audience), and trying too hard to please others. Stick to your guns, but value the critiques of others. Just because a critique doesn’t match up with your own opinion doesn’t mean that it lacks value.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I’ve been given about my first book is that I need to know the difference between Godly sexual love and human sexual love, to accurately depict that difference to my audience. I tend to focus too much on human sexual love, which is what we are all familiar with. But not everyone is familiar with Godly sexual love because most people don’t live for God, they live for themselves. So it would be helpful, I think, to accurately portray the difference. My perspective is unique in this sense, so I believe that it would benefit people if they heard something that they didn’t want to hear, or something that challenged their perspective on life.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading three books: Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum; The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston; and The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter.
All three are very different books, but I’d have to say that my favorite of the three is The Witch’s Daughter because it’s so mysterious and alluring. It seems to write off the church as being hypocritical, and witchcraft as being peaceful and/or beneficial, but my opinion on this topic is actually the opposite of the author’s, which is why I love reading it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not too sure. I suppose I will publish my next book, The Rose Spell Longing, and then continue to publish books from there. I won’t give up my dream of becoming a real writer until it happens. I’m passionate about writing, nonetheless, so I will continue to write regardless if people are reading or not.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Ecstasy of Loving God by John Crowder, and Kingdom Magick by Elijah Autumn.
The Bible is my life, so I couldn’t live without it. I have recently started analyzing Scripture daily, and it’s very helpful to me.
As for the other two books, they are somewhat clouded with mixed doctrine (doctrines that I don’t agree with), but they are certainly intriguing. I like them because I can point out what I dislike about them, in order to sharpen my sense of the truth.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephanie Williams Website
Stephanie Williams Amazon Profile

Stephanie Williams’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Writing a book was number one on my bucket list for most of my life. Now I’m happy to say, my computer is jammed full of books I’ve written! One of the highlights of my career was hitting the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists. I have close to 60 stories published–everything from short stories to novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest story is Crash Point and it’s part of the Riding Desire anthology. It was inspired by Eden Bradley who emailed to ask if I wanted to take part in a super cool collaboration of authors working on alpha bad boy bikers. With those four words, I think she touched on too many fantasies to count!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual, but when I hit a brick wall, I minimize the story, fire up iTunes and Hearts and play until the words start flowing again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow. How long a list can I give you? So, so many! Judy Blume turned me on to romance in middle school with Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret. That kissing in the closet game? Just scandalous! lol. In high school, I used to sneak my dad’s copies of Jackie Collin’s books out of his room. Lucky Santagello changed my world! Let’s see. Who else? Janet Evanovich made me want to write rom com. Diana Gabaldon turned me on to time travelers and Scottish guys–holy cow, I’m still madly in love with Jamie Fraser. Lora Leigh rocked my world with Men of August. I should stop now, right?

What are you working on now?
Right now, I ‘m writing the next book in the Trinity Masters with Lila Dubois. Secret societies, arranged menage marriages, powerful, rich people working to change the world, bad guys, suspense, sex, sex and more sex! Love working on these stories because there are no holds barred!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Oh wow. This is an ongoing learning process. Right now, I spend a lot of time talking to readers on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Sit down and right. Even when the words aren’t coming. Open the document and put at least 100 words down. Every single day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t edit a blank page. – Nora Roberts

What’s next for you as a writer?

In my immediate future, I’ll be attending the Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans in May. I’m really looking forward to that!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Harry Potter series, the Men of August series and the Outlander series (shhh…don’t count up how many books are in those series.)

Author Websites and Profiles
Mari Carr Website
Mari Carr Amazon Profile

Mari Carr’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. My name is Opal Carew and New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write erotic romance, mostly contemporary, but I have also written futuristic and fantasy romance, and a few erotic stories without the romantic relationship. I have published 20 books. 10 novellas, and 7 short stories. That doesn’t include some things I did many years ago that I haven’t kept track of. lol

So why do I like writing erotic romance? I like being able to push beyond traditional boundaries. I like dealing with a woman who is growing and evolving – questioning her sexual boundaries and pushing past them. I have been writing stories that involve multiple characters and it’s fascinating to work with the interactions between them. What fun to write a heroine choosing between two equally appealing heroes? My current project involves a group of several people who interact sexually and I find the scenario an enjoyable challenge.

I try to keep my characters real. I like to have a heroine with whom the reader can empathize. These aren’t women who just jump into bed with anyone. They find themselves in an unusual situation – something exciting and erotic – but a situation where they have to push themselves beyond their comfort level. As a result, they grow as a person. So often fear holds us back – of what others will think of us, of what we will think about ourselves – and we don’t follow our hearts. These women push past that fear.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is His To Possess and I wrote it because I wanted to write about a woman who has a one night stand with a dominant billionaire while in another city searching for a job, then winds up working for him. I love those kinds of stories and wanted to do my own take on it.

Before the story opens, she had a torrid affair with a tattooed, bad boy rock musician and fell in love with him, but he walked out on her. Of course, he turns up hoping to win back her love.

Once I’d written this story, I had to go back and write the story of her with her bad boy biker, so that is how Taken By Storm, the prequel, was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Haha. So many! I write any time of the day or night, which no real schedule. I am often writing at 4 a.m. or even 7 a.m., but I assure you, it’s not because I got up early! In extreme cases, I’ve been known to still be writing into early afternoon before I call it a day.

I go through different phases in what I like to do. For instance, I like to meditate for a short time before I start to write, because it clears my mind and allows me to tap into my inner muse, and for a while I used Qigong as part of my meditation. (Qigong is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness.) Sometimes I use a focus like a candle and put on Reiki music.

But most of the time, I just sit down and write. I always have a glass of water by my side, in a covered cup with a straw, because otherwise my cats come and stick their noses in it! Or their paws.

Also, I know authors who use productivity programs to keep them writing faster and without getting distracted, but they sounded too rigid to me, so I came up with my own technique. Sometimes, if I really want to get myself moving, I’ll put on a timer for about ten minutes and write as fast as I can without stopping. When the timer goes off, I stop, give myself a moment to breath, then figure out where to go from there, then set the timer again!

What are you working on now?

I’ve just started a new book which is about a biker gang who kidnaps a woman. This story follows the same hot, sexy tattooed bad-ass biker introduced in the novella I wrote for the Riding Desire boxed set, called Hot Ride.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that the best way to promote myself and my books is to collaborate with other authors in boxed sets or other projects (like a continuity series I’m in called Invitation to Eden) where we cross promote each other and grow all our audiences.

Many readers wonder how authors can sell a multi-book boxed set at such a low price. Clearly, we couldn’t do it all the time, because we wouldn’t be able to make a living selling our stories for such a low price, but it is worth doing for a limited time on a few projects in order to have new readers try our work. Of course, we hope that they will fall in love with our stories and want more!

Author Websites and Profiles

Opal Carew Website
Opal Carew Amazon Profile
Opal Carew Author Profile on Smashwords

Opal Carew’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am currently a magazine editor who runs two major UK consumer titles and works on London’s South Bank. I am married with two grown up children – my wife is a retired teacher, my daughter is a veterinary surgeon and my son a professional musician and sound engineer. Apart from one-year of my life (1982-1983) which I spent teaching English in Crete, I have been a journalist since graduating in English Literature in 1979. Those years have been spent working on Fleet Street papers (I actually am old enough to have worked on them when they were based in Fleet Street), the BBC and numerous national magazines in various writing and editing capacities. Appart from my family, the loves of my life are my dogs and cats, writing, travelling, particularly in Greece, sailing, reading, rugby and playing the guitar incredibly badly (much to the frustration of my son). Four of my books about the Greek Islands have been published and a fifth one is already in editing hell and should come out over the next couple of months. My father was the crime writer Douglas Clark.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Corfu – A Notebook has just come out, following my previous three books The Greek Islands – A Notebook (2011); Crete – A Notebook (2012); and Rhodes – A Notebook (2013), as you can probably see a theme is developing here. As a professional writer I always wanted to write a book and when I found myself in a place where I had the discipline to attempt it I followed the age old advice to write about something I knew and loved, so Greece was an obvious choice. To start with my first book was an attempt to see if I could actually write a whole book. I did, and not expecting much else other than a sense of achievement, was amazed that it struck a chord and achieved a limited critical and sales success. Realising I had more to say than perhaps I at first thought, I decided to write a book specifically about the place I first visited, and lived in Greece, Crete. The subject matter was really close to my heart and the book was my most successful yet. I still get a buzz when people in Crete tell me they have had people visit there because of something they have read in one of my books. I followed that with the Rhodes book because I know the island well and spent some happy times sailing around there with some friends and have returned more recently with my wife. Corfu was another island I now know well, although I did not come to it until much later in life, so it seemed natural to make it the next in the series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure I do, although being a journalist we are used to always hitting deadlines, but also I have a tendency to leave stuff to the last minute. This was a habit I had to break if I was ever going to get through a book, so I write every day on my commute and at lunchtimes and early in the mornings at weekends. I use my iPad to work on, which suits me just fine and I can type almost as fast as on my laptop now. I do tend to plan ahead, so usually I have a few idea on the go for other books as I am writing the current one. I enjoy the whole process so it isn’t a task and I sometimes feel bereft if I give myself a break between books. I think I have a tendency towards an addictive personality, so I have tried to train myself to be addicted to writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am an avid reader so the answer to this question will change all the time and my tastes are quite wide-ranging. I don’t know if any one particular writer consciously influenced my style but I was encouraged by the short-form chapters of some of Lawrence Durrell’s travel books to encourage me to be able to attempt to put together a book one piece at a time, taking a subject and writing about it at a length I was used to creating in my journalistic life and building them slowly into a more substantial work. In terms of writing about Greece I have enjoyed Patrick Leigh Fermor’s work, and in the diversity of the material we write about I suppose there is a similarity. His style is far more archaic than mine, and I would not presume to think my work comes anywhere near his brilliance. I like the simplicity and economy of style of Hemmingway who, even if the content of his work may not be to everybody’s contemporary taste, does make his books extremely readable. Although I discovered him after I had started my first book, J.A. Konrath also influenced me through his wonderful blog and set me on the journey to get my books out there. He was also good enough to put me in touch with my book designer and formatter, the wonderful Cheryl Perez.

What are you working on now?
I am currently putting together an anthology of my Greek Island Notebooks, making one large volume which I hope will be out in the next couple of months. I am also starting work on a book with a working title of ‘My Greek Alphabet’ which is a serendipitous journey through Greek history, culture and places meandering my way from alpha to omega. A reader also wrote me a lovely review and wondered whether it would be possible to do notebooks for seperate towns and places, and I am considering this as an idea to. Then there’s the novel… I think that might have to wait until I am retired though.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really am not good at this as don’t like pushing my work but I have been persuaded to get onto Facebook where I no doubt commit all sorts of faux pas, I also have a basic website am on Goodreads, Greek Island Books and of course Awesome Gang. I contribute to blogs when requested and also to the Voices of Hellenism Literary Journal and also write various magazine features about the Greek Islands. I think that perhaps the best way to get visibility is by writing more books though, although it is a very inexact science. Reviews do help, but they are difficult to ask for, and I think people are not writing as many as they did a few years ago. I think luck also plays a part, and I have certainly been more lucky with my sales than I can possibly have imagined when I embarked on this journey.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Set out to write for the satisfaction of doing it, anything else is a bonus. Write about something you know and be honest and authentic. Write regularly, like everything else the more you do it the better you will become. Get a good editor, cover designer and formatter so your book is a professional product. Don’t rush to get it out there, but deadlines can help the more indolent amongst us to get things done. Enjoy it, otherwise it’s just not worth the effort.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You learn more from a bad review than a good one. (But good ones make you feel a whole lot better).

What are you reading now?
I am reading The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg, have just finished About Face by Donna Leon and Titian by Mark Hudson and lined up on my Kindle is Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen and am awaiting eagerly Sara Alexi’s new Greek Island novel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t want to count my chickens but the way things are going with the writing I am not to far away from making a living from it, if things go well I would hope to write books full time, spending more time travelling and doing research.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Smile in the Mind’s Eye by Lawrence Durrell

The Complete Poems and Plays of T.S.Eliot

Report to Greco by Nikos Kazantzakis

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Ask me this again tomorrow and the list would likely be completely different!

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Clark Website
Richard Clark Amazon Profile
Richard Clark Author Profile on Smashwords

Richard Clark’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since before I knew how to spell. As a child, I made up stories in the backyard and acted them out with my best friend down the road. I still make up stories in the backyard, but I’ve abandoned the acting! I’ve written over 10 full length mystery and suspense novels, but have only published the last 2. I’m currently working on the third.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Next Exit, Pay Toll is the second book in The Exit Series. The series follows a female assassin from New Jersey and explores how she rediscovers where she came from and who she was, and how she reconciles that with the professional she has become. I have always loved spy and assassin novels and movies. Creating a heroine who comes from South Jersey, where I live, just seemed to make sense.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I create storyboards for my novels to help me keep my plot and characters in line and in focus. It is a visual aid that helps me remember the key points that drive the plot. The storyboards are multi-colored and each color represents a different aspect of the book. Once those are done, I sit down and write. I write from page one straight through.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! Some of the ones that come immediately to mind are Janet Evanovich, Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum, Ngaio Marsh and Daniel Silva.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third book in the Exit Series, tentatively titled Next Exit, Dead End. It’s a fun story set at Halloween in South Jersey. It has a haunted prison, dead bodies and a Mexican cartel. It’s coming along fabulously. I’m really excited about it!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, www.cwbrowning.com, and I am also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Revise. Revise. Revise. Get your manuscript as perfect as you feel it can be, give it to some beta readers to get outside eyes on it, then take the feedback and revise some more. I usually take a break from the work while it’s with the beta readers so that I can go back to it with a fresh outlook. I have changed many things that slowed the pace of the story by doing this. I think we need that little break to see the forest for the trees.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. No matter what, keep writing.

What are you reading now?
Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh. It’s an oldie, but goodie.

What’s next for you as a writer?
When I finish the third book of the Exit Series, I think I am going to take a break from the series. I’m considering an historical spy novel set in Europe in World War II. We’ll see.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Homers The Iliad

The Bible

A blank book for writing. 🙂

Author Websites and Profiles
CW Browning Website
CW Browning Amazon Profile

CW Browning’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Newly published novelist in the YA sci-fi genre. Reading was always my first passion, but I was sidetracked for awhile with young and stupid and everything that comes with that. Up to date I’ve only written one book but I am currently working on my second with the expectation that it will be in the spring of 2015.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest and only book to date is ‘Sins Of The Father’, and I’ve drawn inspiration from multiple sources but my primary one was my daughters who love to read. Being able to write a novel where someone who looks like them actually gets to be the hero and kick butt is what drove me and has been on of my satisfying endeavors.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing too unusual. I usually like to write in silence but when I go back to re-write or edit I like to listen to music that best reflects the particularly scene I’m working on. For example if I am writing a sad or emotional charged scene my song of choice is John Legend’s “All of Me”. If I am writing an upbeat or funny scene my song of choice is Pharrell’s “I’m Happy”.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name. But my biggest my top four are Toni Morrison, Ursula Guin, John Steinbeck, and JRR Tolkien. I know, I know, I have an eclectic taste in books…

What are you working on now?
The second book of my trilogy

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have to say to this point it has been goodreads with Amazon being a distant second

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t wait.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is what you make of it.

What are you reading now?
Technical books for my job(I’m in software)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep doing what I do and see what shakes loose.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bluest Eye, Of Mice and Men, Lord Of The Rings

Author Websites and Profiles
Thelonious Legend Website
Thelonious Legend Amazon Profile
Thelonious Legend Author Profile on Smashwords

Thelonious Legend’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 34 years old, and life has taken me on some interesting journeys. I am far from a saint, I am indeed a sinner. I think I’ve done any and everything one can do to achieve success. Be it legal, or illegal. I’ve written three books, the first was published in December 2012. That book is titled “Job 32:18” and it’s a practical look at the Bible. It’s very important that people see the Scriptures alive and active in their everyday life. There is a whole generation just waiting to be fed, to have their souls watered. I feel as though I have been called to do just that. In addition to the writing I’ll be launching an online ministry, as well as a Christ-centered clothing line. In my own church I am a Teen Leader/Minister.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Job 32:18”. It was inspired by the trials and tribulations one faces during incarceration. The realization that incarceration occurs within before you ever have handcuffs on is sobering. Through a lot of devotion and meditation the Scriptures began to take on new meaning to me. I really wanted to share all that He was placing in me, yet their was no venue. I was transferred to another facility, and there was a computer. This book began as a letter to the young woman I was involved with at the time. A friend wanted to read it, and said I should continue writing. I actually stumbled upon this gift.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say unusual. My approach is pretty conventional. The style is definitely unique, and meant to relate to common everyday people.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
WOW! I don’t know how much space is here. As far as authors; Max Lucado, Alex Haley, C.S. Lewis, William Shakespeare, James Baldwin, Iceberg Slim, Jim Cymbala, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and James Patterson just to name a few. I’ve definitely been influenced by a multitude of books. “Mere Christianity”, “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, “Roots”…..it would take a lifetime to list them all. Because I’ve been a lifelong reader. I was always the kid with a book in his hands, always.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the 2 follow-ups to “Job 32:18”, as well as a Christian fiction novel entitled “Fear and Guilt”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m soooooo new to this. I couldn’t even begin to speculate. I use any and all resources at hand. Awesomegang seems to be one of the best!!!!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay true to yourself. To touch a heart, your words must come from the heart. Remember that what you write has the potential to change the trajectory of another’s life. This is not a shallow calling, not for the faint of heart. Don’t write for money. Write for love of the art, love of others, and the opportunity to influence change.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Obey God, love those around you, put others first.

What are you reading now?
“God Is My CEO”

What’s next for you as a writer?
The publishing of my new projects, the expansion of my blog site. The writing is an extension of me, truthfully. So what’s next for me as a person is getting this clothing company, this online ministry site, and these youth empowerment centers started. The writing is just a vehicle to give others insight to me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Autobiography Of Malcolm X, Mere Christianity, and another Bible. LOL

Author Websites and Profiles
Adryann Glenn Website
Adryann Glenn Amazon Profile

Adryann Glenn’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Chasing Time” will be my eleventh published story, though one is just an omnibus of a three-part serial. I’ve published a mix of short stories, novellas, and full-length novels.

Science Fiction is my main genre, one that I’ve devoured in books, movies, TV shows, and video games as far back as I can remember. I was four when Star Wars hit the big screen in Idaho, and seven when Empire Strikes Back came out. You can imagine what it did to my psyche. My friends and I spent years bashing each other’s heads and fingers with homemade lightsabers. When we weren’t doing that, we were playing with Tie Fighters, X-Wings, so many action figures that I can’t even guess at, even my older brother’s Millenium Falcon (which would enrage him when he caught me playing with it haha).

I found “The Forever War” in a ‘junk pile’ at a local book store one day. I read that book from cover to cover without eating, going to the bathroom, nothing. It’s the first book I can remember that made my brain light up like a fireworks show, and I thought about the concepts of the story for months after reading it.

I do also write Adult Fiction, but those stories are a bit darker, as they are fictionalized parts of my life growing up, which was far from a pleasant experience. I dabble in Horror, in fact I’m working on a short story / novella right now in that genre, Sports (I love hockey!), and Humor.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Chasing Time” is my most recently published story (I don’t like to call them ‘books’ anymore, as ebooks have really changed the meaning of such things since I can publish a short story as quickly and as easily as I can a Game of Thrones length epic).

I tend to write a lot of darker, grittier stories, and every so often I kind of depress myself because of it. So I tend to write something a bit lighter, usually (hopefully) humorous to sort of recharge. “Chasing Time” is just my version of a snarky, suspicious black ops agent who gets sent back in time to kill an egghead scientist before the guy can alter history too radically.

I love time travel, especially when it gets into the confusion of how small of an event can cause how large a variation down the road. If you’ve ever seen The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror VI, where he gets his hand stuck in the time traveling toaster, you can see a little inside my mind.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a graveyard writer. I love being awake and writing from 10AM to 6AM. The world is dead, no one will knock on our door (unless it’s an emergency or the cops bringing back my uncle, the town drunk, but that only happens in 50’s TV shows), no one will call me, and I’ll get very few emails to distract me.

It works out great as my wife teaches high school, and just as she’s waking up to get ready for work, I’m heading to bed. She gets home from school right around the time I wake up, so we get to maximize our time together.

I’m not sure if it is unusual, but I have four different computers I write at, all networked together so Scrivener is current no matter which one I’m using. I’ve even purchased a wireless mouse and keyboard and use the 55″ TV and my recliner sometimes. That’s much harder to write in because when I occupy it, it attracts cats. It’s tough to get any work done with three or four of them bugging me to play with them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“The Forever War” by Joe Haldeman – still the best book I’ve ever read. I just read it again for at least the thirtieth time a few days ago, and you can start to sense how dated some of the stuff in it is. The social aspects of the story especially, though the physics and even the technology is still what I’d consider very viable and current.

“Hyperion” by Dan Simmons. This is a four-book series, and all I can say is that if you’ve never read it, you simply must. The first book starts out a little slow for the first fifty or hundred pages, then it sucks you in like a black hole. The overall story has AI, FTL travel, portals, a machine god vs the human god… read it. All of it.

“Old Man’s War” by John Scalzi – for me, this is a new instant classic. SciFi had become very stale for me for about a decade until I found this book.

“It” by Stephen King. Okay. I read this when I was thirteen. This book was the only book I’d ever read that could scare me that wasn’t titled “The Exorcist”. By the time I’d read this, I had devoured every Stephen King book in print. He’s still my favorite author by far. “It” scared the you know what out of me back then.

“The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty – I don’t know what possessed me to read this book at age nine. Any time I hear what sounds like little feet scurrying around above me, I can only think of this story.

“Superfudge” and “Ramona Quimby” and “The Great Brain” and anything by Shel Silverstein and “The Chronicles of Narnia” and I don’t even remember how many more. We always see authors talking about their favorite books, but how often to they refer to the books that got them really, really into reading? “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Where the Red Fern Grows” and “Flowers in the Attic” and Dr. Seuss… “How the Eat Fried Worms”???

I’m going to regret going to Amazon after this interview.

What are you working on now?
I currently have four, maybe five full-length novels in progress right now.

“Diabolus” – Two Vatican priests are dispatched to Brussles to confront a malfunctioning AI, one who controls all of NATO’s nuclear forces, and claims it is Satan incarnate, come back into the world to bring about Armageddon. It’s kind of a mix between “Skynet meets The Exorcist meets The Matrix”.

“Convict” – In the future, there are no prisons. If you’re convicted of a crime, you are sentenced to a color, then injected with millions of nanos that turn your skin and hair the color of your crime. Discrimination is legal against conviction colors, and for anyone unfortunate enough to commit a second crime while serving a conviction, their color becomes gray, and there are no laws at all to protect them.

“Search Terms” – Tyler ordered the best computer parts possible to have the most badass gaming computer possible. The parts that arrived weren’t what he expected, and when his curiosity overpowers his disappointment, he builds the computer anyway. His surprise that the computer can be controlled via voice commands and access the internet without any networking hardware is soon replaced by both fantasy and nightmare when he discovers the computer has a web browser that can pull up pages from the future. And it isn’t looking like a bright future.

“Extraction” – This is the one I’m working the hardest on, and the one I’ll probably finish without working on anything else. Then I plan on writing two more sequels. This is my ‘epic space opera’ I guess. This story is the one I’m the least forthcoming about. I’ll only say that it seems like a standard ‘First Contact’ and ‘Alien Invasion’ story at first, but what it becomes is far more shocking.

“Enforcer” – Connor Dunsmore is a once-great hockey player that is now toiling away the remaining years of his career as a tough guy for a minor league hockey team in Boise, Idaho. He also moonlights as a street enforcer for the team’s owner, a small-time Romanian mobster named Costache Ojacarcu. When Connor becomes an unwilling accomplice to murder, his life begins to spiral out of control. When he rescues an abused prostitute from one of Ojacarcu’s dealers, he begins to understand just how deeply he’s entrenched. (Enforcer will be published sometime in the first two weeks of March!)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly? AwesomeGang is one of the first two places I’ve ever actually ‘promoted’ anything. I have a Twitter account and a Facebook public page, plus my own website, but the truth is, when I release a book, I tweet/post about it once, maybe twice, then I don’t bother anymore.

I’ve annoyed enough of my friends and family, and that experience taught me not to annoy my potential readers who maybe aren’t as forgiving as my friends and family, who are used to be thoroughly annoyed by me for almost forty years. No one likes a spammer.

I’ve always believed that if I write a good book that readers want to read, that is the best kind of promotion there is. But I’ve also decided that I’ll try a little promo here and there with services like AG that seem to have engaged readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the stories you want to read that no one else is writing. That’s it. Don’t write to make money. Don’t write to fill a genre, or to catch the money windfall from whatever genre is popular. Write because you love to write.

Money is nice, and helps pay the mortgage, but it isn’t everything, and stories that come from the heart with passion are always produce a better reader experience (well, mostly… everyone writes a stinker, and I’m no different).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Pretty much anything Joe Konrath, Barry Eisler, and Hugh Howey have ever said. Which mostly has to do with the business side of writing (like avoiding bad contracts, rights grabs, etc.).

As for writing advice… I don’t know. I don’t listen to anyone’s advice when it comes to my writing/style. I write what I want to write, and I don’t let anything else influence it, even when it has to do with touchy, taboo, controversial, or hot-button topics.

What are you reading now?
“The Mask” by C.C. Kelley

“Measures of Absolution” by Marko Kloos (I’m REALLY looking forward to “Lines of Departure” but I haven’t had a chance to get to it yet)

“NOS4A2” by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve got this grand plan where my wife and I ride the Amtrak to every NHL city in America and Canada (whatever Canada’s version of Amtrak is, anyway) and watch a professional hockey game. Thirty cities, thirty games, thousands of interactions with human beings of all stripes.

I want to write two books from this experience. One is the experience of riding across the continent on a train, something that is lost to just about everyone not in the Northeast. When is the last time you rode a real train to get somewhere other than to work or to home?

The second book is about the experience of visiting all thirty NHL cities, touring their facilities, interviewing random persons as well as players, coaches, management, etc.

I’m actually thinking about trying Kickstarter to see if I can get a little funding for this, maybe some attention and get a little help from Amtrak and the NHL. I can’t imagine trying to plot out 30 different stops over the course of a couple of months, making sure there’s an NHL game happening at each stop. And I’m sure the arena security guys won’t be too keen on my trying to get into locker rooms and such.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Forever War” because I will probably read this at least one hundred times in my lifetime. I never get tired of it.

“The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” not because I’m a weird skinhead type, but because this book is HUGE. I might actually make it to the end of the book by the time I was rescued, which might be never, so go figure… I’m still only halfway through this book, but it is probably the most complete look at Hitler and Germany’s rise to power. I almost became a history teacher, and my wife does teach history, so you can imagine we have a ton of nerdy, boring books like this. That we love!

“The Gunslinger” by Stephen King (anything by King, really). Such a great, great story.

“Deathlands” by James Axler. This is actually a huge Men’s Adventure series, sort of like pulpy post-nuclear war stuff. I’ve read probably sixty of them so far. I grew up at the tail end of the Cold War, so nuclear war is a really huge part of my imagination.

Author Websites and Profiles
Travis Hill Website
Travis Hill Amazon Profile
Travis Hill Author Profile on Smashwords

Travis Hill’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Though I have written very many scientific papers and articles, Bottleneck is my first actual book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Bottleneck – Our human interface with reality.

I always had a passion for understanding things and distrusted explanations without evidence. I was fortunate to be part of the UK research team that brought optical fibre communications to the world. While spending four decades developing ways of squeezing ever higher information rates down optical fibres, I became fascinated by the contrastingly tiny rate that we humans can actually absorb any new information. The implications seemed so incredible that I began to research just how our senses perceive the world around us, initially using eye tracking technology. I discovered that most of what we experience is a story, a narrative constructed within our minds to make sense of our past and the present.

This book reveals the evidence for our narrow learning bottleneck, and explores the shocking implications both for technology and for ourselves. It provides scientific insights into a wealth of human experiences such as flawed memory and prejudice, and describes the huge difference between recognising what is familiar to us, and what is truly new. I have not written this to make money, nor to make my name as a writer, merely to spread an idea that I am passionate about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write well at night. Arount 11.30 pm I feel tired and tell myself that I should have “an early night”, then 15 minutes later my night owl awakes and I am on a roll till as late as 4 am.

Athough the germ of the idea arose much earlier, I started writing the book itself about 15 years ago. I wrote using Microsoft Word, and as the book grew in size it became increasingly unweildy and I became more and more depressed. I spent as much time writing as I did trying to move things around and fixing formatting problems.

The breakthrough came two years ago when I discovered Scrivener writing software. This is designed for writers and is a combination of text editor and spreadsheet. Suddenly all my problems of working out what goes where, became simple. I would wake each morning feeling really excited about writing.

With Scrivener one compiles the output in any of a wide variety of formats, and as my first release was to be an eBook, I regularly compiled my manuscript to .mobi format and loaded it on my Kindle for proof reading. It was easy to also generate copies in .doc, epub .PDF, and .html formats, so I provided copies in the first four formats for my team of friendly editors to give me feedback. For my final eBook, I compiled to .epub then tidied up using Sigil the free eBook editor

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Whenever I am told or read about new ideas in science or philosophy, the extent that I trust the speaker or author is important to me. So I always enjoy books that reveal the personality of the writer themselves, and that is what I have tried to do within Bottleneck. I was particularly inspired by Tor Norretranders delightful book: The User Illusion. The books by the late Richard Gregory had a great influence on me, as he wrote from a gentle place and always made science accessible.

What are you working on now?
Apart from promoting the Kindle version of Bottleneck, I am busy finalising the print version for release in the near future.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have my own WordPress website (www.humanbottleneck.com) that I am gradually adding material in support of my book. I use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn too. I signed up for the Amazon KDP promotion and am currently in the middle of a free 5 days slot which has got my book out to another 600+ readers.

I will present my work at a local Cafe Scientifique shortly. Assuming that goes well, I will take it on the road.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know nothing! I’m new here too.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your bliss. Love what you do. Work is love made real.

What are you reading now?
The Science Delusion by Rupert Sheldrake.

What’s next for you as a writer?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The Oxford companion to the mind, by Richard Gregory

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Epworth Website
Richard Epworth Amazon Profile

Richard Epworth’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a wife and mother first and foremost. My husband is my rock star. My son, the light of my life and a budding rock star. Music is a passion. I believe that as strongly as the words of any book, the lyrics of music tell a story that emotionally pulls the listener in. That’s why I love writing about musicians and the life of. I’ve written around a dozen books, and so far, three have been published. The Silver Strings Series when complete, will have a trilogy set for each string on a normally tuned guitar. So far, the G-String Set is complete and published. Jack Who?, Weathering Jack Storm, and Snow Storms.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest novel is Snow Storms, which is number three in the Silver Strings Series. This book, like all others in the set, are inspired by the behind the scenes of the song lyrics and tunes that we love. But behind the lyrics, the tunes, and the rock star envy are musicians living complicated lives. This complexity affects their perception of themselves, their relationships. I love bringing these relationships to light in a fictional way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When experiencing total writers block I take a couple of shots of any alcohol handy. Normally, I’m not a drinker–got that out of my system in my 20’s! But, alcohol does get the juices flowing. Often though, the next morning, I’m editing out half of what I wrote, but the other half is golden!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is a hard one because I did not have time to read for so long before I began writing myself. But back when I did read, I loved Janet Daily, Judith McNaught, Sandra Brown, Kay Hooper, so many more. These days when I have time to read, I enjoy rock star romances–which I did not even know existed until publishing my own!

What are you working on now?
The D-String Trilogy Set. It spans a decade in the 70’s, so the research has been extensive. It has been interesting in a way I never expected. Somehow, the surfing culture, the emerging glam rock scene, the politics at the time are weaving together into what I hope is a fascinating read.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter and Facebook. Twitter is one I never would have believed, but it has come through again and again. Fans of the books have been wonderful with shares and word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If self publishing, get a proofreader! I trusted in my own abilities, and this was disastrous. No matter how good you are at proofing others works, you just can’t do your own. Also, write for those who love your work and ignore those who don’t. Publishing can be a cutthroat experience, which I will never understand why. Let your fans and author friends keep you smiling. Realize for every bad rating there is a good one. Because there will be if you are writing to the best of your abilities.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write for those who love your work and ignore those who don’t. Jade C. Jamison has a blog post that I love in which she mentions that with her debut rock star romance, she had as many haters as lovers of the book. She mentions to focus on those who love your work, and she is right.

What are you reading now?
The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will keep going through this series until complete. Also, I have a project that I’m really excited about, involves a band that is not fictional. But more on that soon!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh geeze. 3 of my own? Not because I am narcissistic, but because I am never happy unless I am editing and tweaking every paragraph until it is perfect. I love writing so much more than reading these days!

Author Websites and Profiles
Lisa Gillis Website
Lisa Gillis Amazon Profile
Lisa Gillis Author Profile on Smashwords

Lisa Gillis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Jeff Rasley is the author of seven books and has published numerous articles in academic and mainstream periodicals, including Newsweek, Chicago Magazine, ABA Journal, Family Law Review, American Athenaeum, Pacific Magazine, Indy’s Child, The Journal of Communal Societies, The Chrysalis Reader, Faith & Fitness Magazine, Friends Journal, and Real Travel Adventures International Magazine. He is an award-winning photographer and his pictures taken in the Himalayas and Caribbean and Pacific islands have been published in several journals.

Rasley has engaged in social activism and philanthropic efforts from an early age. In high school he co-founded the Goshen Walk for Hunger. In law school he was an advocate of residential renters’ rights as a lobbyist and president of the Indianapolis Tenants Association. He is the founder and president of the Basa Village Foundation USA and currently serves as an officer or director for five nonprofit corporations.

Jeff is an avid outdoorsman and recreational athlete. He leads trekking-mountaineering expeditions in Nepal and has solo-kayaked around several Pacific island groups. He also loves to read and considers completing Marcel Proust’s 3600 page Remembrance of Things Past as great an adventure as climbing Himalayan peaks and solo-kayaking Pacific islands.

Rasley is a partner in the e-book publishing enterprise Midsummer Books through which he also provides writer coaching and editing services. He is U.S. liaison for the Nepal-based Himalayan expedition company, Adventure GeoTreks Ltd. He has taught classes for IUPUI Continuing Ed. Program, Indiana Writers Center, and Marian University. He currently teaches philosophy of philanthropy at Butler University.

Jeff is a graduate of the University of Chicago, A.B. magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, All-Academic All-State Football Team and letter winner in swimming and football; Indiana University School of Law, J.D. cum laude, Moot Court and Indiana Law Review; Christian Theological Seminary, M.Div. magna cum laude, co-valedictorian and Faculty Award Scholar. He has been admitted to the Indiana, U.S. District Court, and U.S. Supreme Court Bars.

For chairing the Indiana-Tennessee Civic Memorial Commission Rasley and the Commission received Proclamations of Salutation from the Governors of Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Pennsylvania and he was made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel Aide-de-Camp of the Alabama State Militia, a Kentucky Colonel and honorary Citizen of Tennessee. He was given a Key to the City of Indianapolis for serving as an intern to Mayor Hudnut and preparing a report on the safety conditions of all Indy Parks. Rasley has received the Man of the Year award from the Arthur Jordan YMCA and the Alumni Service Award from the University of Chicago Alumni Board of Governors.

Rasley has given serious and humorous interviews to many broadcast programs and provided programs for service clubs, community organizations, and churches.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pilgrimage: Sturgis to Wounded Knee and Back Home Again is a memoir available as an ebook and audiobook at http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrimage-Sturgis-Wounded-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00B0Q71A0/

In his 7th book Jeff Rasley continues his search to find, explore, and explain authentic community. Pilgrimage: Sturgis to Wounded Knee and Back Home is a very personal Memoir in which the author traces his roots to the bloody massacre of the Sioux at Wounded Knee. He deconstructs a local myth of his childhood in Goshen, Indiana about an Indian attack on the town, which never occurred. And then compares his experience in working with the Rai people in the Nepal Himalayas to the genocidal treatment of the American Plains Indians by his ancestors. It’s all about finding meaning in the deep connectedness of human community.

Pilgrimage takes the reader on a journey that starts with a motorcycle trip and then detours back through the history of the Indian Wars and the forced removal of Native Americans from Indiana. It leads the reader to the high Himalayas of India and Nepal, and back home to Indiana. The journey ends where we all begin.

The author planned to whoop it up with biker friends at the Bacchanalia of Sturgis Bike Week in South Dakota. Instead, an spontaneous pilgrimage to Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation leads to confrontation with a troubling family history. One ancestor fought in the Indian Wars and died from a wound sustained at the massacre of Sioux at Wounded Knee. Another helped the last of the Pottawatomie avoid starvation during a harsh winter in Indiana.

The journey arcs across the Pacific to the Himalayas. In a remote mountain village Jeff Rasley found a community much like the traditional Sioux of the Black Hills. Rasley explains how the Rai of Nepal, however, recognized the danger to their communities and successfully fought off British invaders. Jeff’s work with Basa village is not about atonement for the near genocide of Native Americans. It is about reconciliation between white Westerners and indigenous people through recognition of our common humanity and respect for cultural differences.

“It’s wackier, sexier, and even more thoughtful than Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”

Other books by Jeff Rasley –

If you enjoy real adventure stories combined with an uplifting message about the strongest

and kindest people in the world, check out Bringing Progress to Paradise

and its sequel, Light in the Mountains.

To understand where 3 Cups of Tea went wrong, read India – Nepal Himalayas in the Moment.

Want to get out of the snow and mountains and onto sandy beaches and swaying palms, check out the lyrical Islands in my Dreams, a Memoir.

If you enjoy sports action, history, humor, and romance or the

sex/drugs/rock ‘n roll cultural revolution of the 60s, check out MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAY the Death, Resurrection, and Redemption of Chicago Football.

For a change of pace curl up with False Prophet, a Legal Thriller, romantic mystery and inspirational tale based on a legal case Rasley handled in his Indianapolis law practice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are quite mundane. I write first in long hand on a yellow legal pad. Once I am in control of the story I begin to input in Word. I try to create at least one new page each day after reviewing, revising, and editing what I wrote the day before.

Sticking to my disciplined approach is what has helped me to be fairly prolific.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My wife, Alicia Rasley

What are you working on now?
“Godless”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Direct emails to personal contacts developed over many years and speaking to groups.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write on!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t expect success; just do what feels right and enjoy your life.

What are you reading now?
Middlemarch by George Elliot

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish “Godless”

Author Websites and Profiles

Jeff Rasley Website
Jeff Rasley Amazon Profile

Jeff Rasley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account